World-renowned pianist Lim Dong-hyuk has shocked fans by revealing a handwritten letter on his personal account that hints at an extreme choice. The letter contains his long-standing struggles with depression, the loneliness of being a performer, and his stance on personal controversies, raising concerns among fans.
On the morning of the 16th, Lim Dong-hyuk posted several photos of a handwritten letter. In the letter, he confessed, "I have suffered from severe depression while living as a performer my whole life," and stated, "I have been taking antidepressants without fail since 2015."
He explained the reason why performers can easily become mentally weak, saying, "After receiving applause from thousands, the extreme sense of isolation when returning to a hotel room is overwhelming." He revealed that his inherently lonely personality made it even harder to endure, and despite knowing that emptiness awaited him, he relied on alcohol to cope. Nevertheless, he added, "But ultimately, music was my everything," expressing his love for music.
Lim Dong-hyuk also mentioned the controversy surrounding the transmission of explicit photos that arose during his divorce proceedings with his ex-wife. He claimed, "My ex-wife alleged that I sent explicit messages during the divorce proceedings, but I never sent such messages, nor was it during the divorce process," asserting that there were false threats involved.
However, he admitted, "I have had experiences with prostitution in my life, and that was a wrongdoing on my part," and stated, "I can no longer endure mentally and physically, so I decided to accept the first trial verdict. I apologize."
At the end of the letter, Lim Dong-hyuk said, "It may seem somewhat vulgar, but my music is not like that," and expressed his gratitude, saying, "I have been happy and thankful because of you all." He concluded the letter by leaving a timestamp of "5:35 AM on December 16th."
Lim Dong-hyuk is a world-renowned pianist who began his career by winning the youngest title at the Long-Thibaud Competition in France in 2001 and has placed in all three of the so-called world’s top competitions: the Queen Elizabeth, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin competitions.
